Elevating In-Store AV Design to Resonate with Customers

Whether you’re an integrator, a designer or simply a label-defying creative, the EXPERIENCE is everything. Host Bryan Meszaros explores the story behind the exhibit to understand how a carefully crafted experience traps into the human experience to connect people to place.

 

Retailers have been creating experiences for shoppers for hundreds of years. Those have evolved based on customer needs, technology, and now a pandemic. Experience by Design is peering into the question of retail design adaptation. Host Bryan Meszaros welcomed industry veteran Cindi Kato, VP of Global Retail for CallisonRTKL. Kato has spent over 30 years with the architecture, planning, and design firm, creating successful retail experiences.

Thinking about where retail is right now, Kato said, “They are stepping back and analyzing the business and how it’s changed during the pandemic. Brands are looking more at omnichannel and how all facets can work together.”

Retailers are reconsidering in-store experiences and their message and how it resonates in the world today. Companies are trying new prototypes that allow for adaptions on the interior and exterior, which includes technology. “The technology needs to be purposeful,” Kato added.

Another theme Kato touched on was fulfillment at the store level to meet eCommerce demands. “Retailers are looking at low performing stores or spaces in stores they can adapt to support fulfillment,” she noted.

Fulfillment also means adjusting stores for curbside, pickup, and queues. Kato explained, “Retailers are planning different entryways, one as a pickup and the other to engage. Lines at stores are also an opportunity for engaging at the storefront.”

Engagement and experience are challenging in a touchless world, but Kato discussed that the real connection is in the customer’s hand. “A brand’s app is a big focus right now. That experience should be seamless for customers in the store,” she said.

Join host Bryan Meszaros on Experience by Design every other Wednesday as he explores the latest trends and solutions helping craft the world’s most intriguing experiences.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

growth-oriented community
Purpose Factory: A Growth-Oriented Community for Leaders Rooted in Self-Improvement, Accountability, and Helping Others Grow
June 25, 2025

As more professionals seek development beyond traditional coaching, growth-oriented communities are emerging as powerful spaces for accountability, transparency, and purpose-driven leadership. These networks bring together executives committed to personal growth and meaningful impact. In this short video, Donald J. Glacy, Founder and Mentor at Purpose Factory, shares the vision behind building a growth-oriented community…

Read More
career growth
Taming the Inner Critic to Fuel Career Growth: Crush Doubt, Build Confidence
June 25, 2025

In this episode of Professional Quotient: Conversations That Build Equity, host Jason Winningham speaks with Mike O’Hora, a former Marine turned learning executive, now the founder of Semper Mind. With a career spanning sales, HR, and talent development, Mike brings a unique blend of resilience, humility, and wisdom to this powerful conversation about career…

Read More
Giving Back to Support Nursing Education
Giving Back to Support Nursing Education
June 25, 2025

In this episode of Care Anywhere, host Lea Sims sits down with Louis Brownstone, President of WorldWide HealthStaff Solutions, to explore how one of the largest global staffing organizations is giving back to nursing education in meaningful, long-term ways. While known for their direct hire placements across the U.S. and Middle East, WorldWide is also…

Read More
commerce
From Code to Commerce: PayPal Dev Days Puts AI at the Heart of Innovation
June 24, 2025

At PayPal Dev Days, the convergence of agentic AI tools and real-world developer ingenuity signaled a bold shift in the future of digital commerce. This wasn’t just about code—it was a glimpse into a world where AI collaborates, not just automates, and developers become architects of intelligent systems. Across immersive sessions and live coding…

Read More